


Wildest Dreams

by SereneCalamity



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Bucky Barnes, Famous!Bucky, Gay Steve Rogers, M/M, Newbie!Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-05-10 11:09:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5583553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SereneCalamity/pseuds/SereneCalamity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve had never imagined that he would catch the eye of an A-list actor like Bucky Barnes. Stucky. OneShot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wildest Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> This is the longest oneshot that I have ever ever written! I got the idea from Taylor Swifts music video Wildest Dreams and it just kind of escalated. I hope that you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, unfortunately. I apologize for any mistakes made.

When he had auditioned for the part of 'Chris Evans', he knew that it was a long shot. He was relatively new to the business, a couple of small and supporting roles in low budget movies and TV shows. This particular movie had already worked up an excited buzz because Hollywood heart throb, James Buchanan Barnes, was rumoured to be cast as one of the leading roles. The director and producer of the movie were award winning and well known throughout the industry. So when his agent, Clint Barton, had pushed him to audition, he really didn't think he stood a chance, muchless getting through to the final reading, sitting opposite the brunette who had a smile that made Steve's knees weak.

And then, two months later, he was a part of the cast for the movie that had already been advertised and referred to as the summer block buster of 2016.

Clint and his wife, Natasha Romanov-Barton, were Steve's rock, and he was pretty sure he would be curled up in the corner in an absolute mess. Sam Wilson, his best friend since childhood, was also good when he needed a reality check. Surprisingly, James—who had quickly told him to call him Bucky—had also been really helpful. It was no wonder he was a hit with everyone he ever met—he was stunning, smart, down to earth and had a great sense of humour. He had also just broken up with his socialite girlfriend, and he said that the movie and helping out Steve was a great distraction.

It was kind of ironic, because Steve's character, Chris Evans, was a straight mechanic from a small town where he had once when the Golden Boy quarterback, and Bucky's character, Sebastian Stan, was a gay lawyer who had just gone through a bad break up with his boyfriend and had moved to the town to escape.

It was ironic because Steve was openly gay and Bucky was clearly straight, given the long resume of girlfriends he had.

The first time they briefly kissed, there was about fifty sets of eyes on them, and it was possibly the most unromantic moment of Steve's life.

The second time they kissed it had been a little easier, only about half the crew and a couple of cast members there. The director wasn't happy, and had them repeat the kiss over and over again until Steve's arm was aching from where he had to have it braced behind him. The director had scowled at them both, saying their chemistry was off the charts until they actually kissed, and then it disappeared.

Steve had plans to go back to his hotel room and mope for the rest of the night, but then there was a knock on the door. He opened it up and saw Bucky standing there, looking breath taking in a dark coloured pair of jeans and a flannel shirt with a couple buttons undone to tease his chest hair. In his hands, he was holding a bottle of whiskey and his script. Steve stepped aside to let him in, feeling very shabby in comparison in a pair of sweatpants and a worn short sleeved shirt.

"You heading out after?" Steve asked as he closed the door and nodded at Bucky's freshly changed clothes and damp hair.

"Oh, no, no," Bucky said, shaking his head and turned around to look at him. "Just got all dressed up to see you," he teased lightly with a wink, before turning back to walk into the kitchenette. Steve knew that he was joking but that didn't stop him from letting him appreciate the way those jeans cupped Bucky's perfect ass. "Shitty day today, aye?" He called from where he was pouring whiskey into two glasses. Steve cringed as he took the glass and swirled around the amber liquid before taking a mouthful.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, man," Steve muttered.

"Nah, nah—it's algood!" Bucky assured him as he made himself comfortable on the couch. "It was both of us, and everyone has their days. You're an amazing actor though, it's been really easy to work with you." Steve really hoped he wasn't blushing. "Anyway, um, I was thinking maybe we could go through that scene? Just the two of us, a couple of drinks, no pressure from other people watching?" It honestly sounded like a recipe for disaster, but Bucky was just trying to be helpful and he had this hopeful smile on his face and he couldn't say no. And that was how he ended up half naked, on his bed, with a similarly undressed Bucky stretched out next to him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Steve laughed, rolling onto his back and covering his face as his body convulsed with laughter. Bucky was just grinning down at him and shook his head. "Okay," he pulled his hand away from his face, attempting to compose himself. "I'm good."

"You sure?" Bucky smirked.

"I'm sure," Steve promised. They had finished half the bottle of whiskey and they were definitely feeling the effects. Bucky was making faces at him as he tried to say his lines, and it was sending Steve into controllable fits of laughter. They had both taken their shirts off about twenty minutes ago, Bucky saying that it was better for them to at least loosely act out the scene to go with their lines. "I've got this," Steve let out one last snort, squinting at his script. He was laying on his back on the bed, and Bucky was sitting cross legged next to him. They were now only a few lines away from the kiss. In the script, it was meant to be in 'Chris's garage' and Steve was meant to be shoved up against his car. The moment was supposed to be a climax, with 'Chris' finally realizing that he had feelings for 'Sebastian'. The next scene was to be the sex scene, but the director had told them they were going to leave that until near the end of filming to do that.

"You still with me?" Bucky teased, waving his hand in front of Steve's face. Steve blinked and realized that he had zoned out and shook his head. "You freaking out about the kiss? Haven't you kissed a hundred different guys?"

"I wouldn't say that!" Steve protested.

"Right, well, am I really that scary?" Bucky pouted and Steve rolled his eyes.

"You know that's not true," he muttered. "You have girls lined up for days to just share the same breath as you!"

" _Girls_ , Stevie," Bucky emphasized. "Not guys." Steve snorted as he looked Bucky over. His hair was cut a little shorter than he usually wore it, and was tousled, pretty much dry by now. His cheekbones and jaw line were chiselled perfectly, and Steve could stare at his mouth for days on end—if he was any good with words, he would write fucking poetry about this guys mouth. And his shoulders and biceps...Nope. Bucky Barnes was a perfect specimen to a male or female.

"No, Bucky," Steve assured him with a snort. "Males find out attractive." The expression that Bucky was giving him now had changed the whole atmosphere in the room and Steve cleared his throat and tilted his chin down, so that he could look at his script. The two of them were quiet for a few stretched minutes before Bucky shifted o the bed, his leg pressed up hard against Steve's. He kept his expression nonchalant, focussing on his lines. Steve knew his cheeks were flushed red, and he hoped that Bucky would just put it down to thee alcohol.

"So are we still doing this?" Bucky asked, glancing over at him.

"Oh, right!" Steve gave himself a shake and then frowned at his script to try and find where he was. He was about to start his line when Bucky was pushing his hands away and cupping his face. Before Steve had time to react or process what was happening, the brunette's mouth was covering his. Steve jerked in surprise and took a moment to register that _this was actually happening_ before he responded. Bucky's lips felt just as good as they looked. They were soft and warm and felt like heaven against Steve's. His body got another shock when Bucky's tongue slid over his lower lip, coaxing them apart. He wasn't invasive or rough, but Steve could feel the kiss right down in his bones. Their tongues moved languidly together, tracing one anothers mouths and learning each others pace. Bucky manoeuvred his body so that he was almost laying on top of Steve, only stopped by the fact his arm was braced by the blondes head.

They lost track of time, licking at each other and tasting the whiskey they had shared. Steve's hand tangled in Bucky's hair, and it wasn't until the dark haired man let out a long, almost needy moan, that he seemed to realize what was happening. His eyes flashed open and his grip on Steve's face loosened and he pulled back slightly. They stared at each other for a long moment, weighing up exactly what happened and how to go forward before Bucky let out a short laugh and sat up.

"Well, I think that was enough chemistry to keep the director happy!" He stated. Steve was still dazed, laying on the bed and blinking. Bucky sent him a playful smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Do you want to move onto the next scene?"

* * *

The chemistry was there.

Their fire was obvious.

The director was pleased.

By the end of the next day, Steve knew that there was no way he was going to be able to look at Bucky the same way. They had shared that short kiss in the first few days of filming, and even after the furious make out session that they had in 'Chris's garage', he would have been okay. But it was the kiss, or _kisses_ , that they had shared in his bedroom that were sticking with him.

Weeks went by, and the individual scenes were all starting to string together to make a movie. They were close to starting a long list of photoshoots and interviews that the movie required and Steve was getting nervous all over again. It was even worse than his first day on set, standing opposite Bucky, because he didn't have a script of a character to hide behind. Clint and Natasha were telling him not to worry, it was all going to be superficial and they would have a copy of the questions before he went in. He was openly gay, and whenever he had been questioned in the past, he had never shied away from it. Admittedly, those interviews were never _solely_ focussed on him, because he was never the big star, but it wasn't something he had ever tried to hide.

As he sat down on the bench press and looked down at the water bottle that was clasped in his hands, he exhaled heavily.

"I'm fucked," he growled out loud.

"You don't look fucked," came an unexpected reply to his comment. Steve twisted his neck and saw Bucky standing at the front of the gym. He must have only just come in because he wasn't there when Steve had sat down. "In fact, you look pretty tense—like you could use a good fucking."

"You offering to help out?" Steve joked with a grin and Bucky wiggled his eyebrows.

"If only I was so lucky," he smirked back. He came over to lean against the weight set that was next to Steve. "What are you doing up here? Shouldn't you be getting some rest for the interview tomorrow?"

"You insinuating that I need my beauty sleep, Barnes?" Steve gave him a look filled with mock pain.

"Never could anyone say that you need your beauty sleep, Rogers," Bucky replied, reaching to ruffle Steve's hair. "Are you nervous?"

"You're kissing, right?" Steve snorted. "I'm freaking the fuck out." Bucky laughed and shook his head.

"You've got to relax," he said.

"Easy for you to say! How many of these have you done?" Steve rebutted.

"You do one, you do them all," he shrugged. "Besides it'll be easier with you."

"Why's that?"

"Well—I like you, for you," Bucky shrugged, clearly unaware of the affect his words had on Steve. "Girls get all giggly and try to tell these awkward jokes, and then if you joke back and say one thing wrong, then they get all pissy," he scrunched up his nose in distaste. "I'm looking forward to the photoshoot with the car though," he grinned at him. "You'll look hot, spread out on the car." That was _not_ what Steve had expected him to say, and he sucked in a sharp breath, making a choking sound at the back of his throat. Bucky laughed. "What?"

"Uh," Steve shook his head. "Nothing."

"What? You don't think I find you attractive?" Bucky persisted, one eyebrow arched, that beautiful mouth curled into a half smirk. Steve let out a short laugh to try and cover up the uncomfortable flush that was quickly covering is skin. Bucky looked down at him before he reached out to ruffle his hair, like two friends teasing each other. "You'll be fine, Stevie," he reassured him. "I've got your back."

"Thanks, Buck," Steve gave him a smile before standing up and stretching. He was pretty sure it was just his wishful thinking that told him Bucky gave him an appreciative once over as his shirt lifted and exposed his taunt abdominals. "Better head off to my room. Nat will kill me if I'm tired tomorrow."

"I thought Clint was your agent?" Bucky raised an eyebrow questioningly. His lips pulled in a little tighter at the edges as he waited for an answer.

"All just technicalities," Steve grinned and shrugged. "She's kind of like the big sister that I never had."

"Must be nice," Bucky told him, his eyes falling to the ground. "Maria's great but she's...She's very professional. Everything is what is the press going to think? Or who's going to look best next to me on the red carpet? Or what role is going to make the most money?" Bucky was looking down, but Steve could hear the pain in his voice.

Steve had to do a double take, because was always happy, always smiling—all the time! When Buck let out a self-deprecating snort, Steve couldn't help but take a step closer to him.

"I guess that's what you hired her for though, right? To make sure you always look good for the media? Get yourself the best roles—the most money," Steve let out a short laugh to try and lighten the mood. "Friends are the ones who are meant to be there for everything else—I just got lucky with Clint and Nat," he shrugged. "I still see Sam as my best friend. He still looks at me like I'm skinny little kid who couldn't throw a baseball properly."

"That sounds pretty amazing, to be honest," Bucky commented, looking almost wistful. Steve frowned at him and Bucky rolled his eyes. "What? You think it's so crazy for someone to be jealous of you?"

"I think it's crazy for someone like _you_ to be jealous of me," Steve, a disbelieving smile on his face. Bucky made a face and turned around, stalking over to the benches that were set up in front of the ceiling to floor mirrors. Instead of sitting down, he just stared at his reflection for a long moment. "You okay there, Buck?"

"I like it when you call me that," Bucky said quietly. "I like the way you say it." Steve swallowed hard, his eyes never leaving the reflection of Bucky in the mirror. He wasn't sure where this was going—a part of him was screaming that Bucky was flirting with him and to grab him and kiss him before the moment was over. But then the other part of him said that Bucky was feeling vulnerable right now and whatever he tried to take would be him taking advantage. He snapped out of his thoughts as Bucky cleared his throat and turned around, his cheeks a little red. "Sorry, uh," Bucky rubbed a hand over his eyes. "I must be tired."

"You don't look tired," Steve said hesitantly. Bucky just shook his head and forced a smile.

"Wanna walk down with me?" He asked quietly. Steve just nodded silently, picking up his sweatshirt that was on the floor and following him out. The hotel was completely deserted, which was to be expected on a Wednesday night, just after one in the morning. They were quiet in the elevator and then as they walked down the hallway toward their rooms. Steve's room was first and he stopped by his door, Bucky paused next to him.

"So I'll see you in the morning?" Steve was trying to distract himself from looking at Bucky by fumbling around with his swipe card. When there was no reply, Steve looked up, and Bucky was just watching him. Steve's eyes flickered in a question before Bucky was leaning forward and brushing a chaste, brief kiss to his waiting mouth.

"Sweet dreams, Stevie," Bucky murmured, giving him a soft, half smile before turning and continuing down the hallway. Steve watched him go, his lips still pursed slightly.

 _That_ was definitely not scripted.

* * *

Bucky, Clint and Natasha had all been right.

The interview went fine.

The woman who was taking it was relaxed and funny, and Bucky didn't leave him fumbling with any questions. They bounced off each other well—Steve becoming comfortable enough to finish off Bucky's sentences and improvise a little.

As expected, their personal lives were brought up, but it was only for a small segment. She asked if they were seeing anyone, which they both said they weren't. She was bringing the interview to a close, Sharon Carter had one final question.

"James," she grinned widely at him. "This is your first role when you've played a gay character." Bucky nodded indulgently at her while Steve tensed up slightly next to him. "Now we're not sure about any teenage, alcohol-induced experimentation—so as far as we're aware, this is your first time kissing another man! So the question we have is—what's it like?" Bucky let out a laugh and looked across at Steve, who had purposefully tilted his head to the side and slightly downward so that he was facing Bucky and his head was away from the camera.

"Well," Bucky smirked and reached over to give Steve a playful punch on the shoulder. "I can tell you that the woman in the world are definitely missing out by not getting a chance to kiss this man!" Steve's ears burned as Sharon let out a shout of laughter. Bucky was grinning as Steve looked over at him.

"And? Steve? How is kissing James?" Sharon asked with a grin. "You know you have the whole world jealous of you, right?" Bucky laughed and with the way his eyes were twinkling as he watched the other man, Steve felt completely at ease. He smirked and winked easily at Bucky.

"It's like he's been kissing men all his life," Steve joked and Bucky let out a snort, this time reaching over to pull Steve into a one armed hug. It felt natural, like they were joking around on set, but there was a gleam in Sharon's eye.

"Well, you two have chemistry! That's pretty damn obvious to anyone who see's you together," Sharon told them, before twisting fully in her seat so that she was directly looking at the camera. "You've heard it here first, folks!" She launched into her closing spiel and Steve let out a long, deep breath that he felt as though he had been holding since the beginning of the interview. Bucky's arm was still around his shoulder, and he tugged him in a little closer so that their foreheads were almost touching.

"You did good, Stevie," Bucky murmured, knowing that the blonde was still nervous. "You did real good." Steve rolled his eyes and let out a short laugh.

"I think I'm gonna need a bottle of whiskey after this," he admitted.

"Don't think Fury or our agents will be happy if we show up hungover and bloated to the photoshoot tomorrow," Bucky grinned. "Not that you could ever look bad..." Steve's mind flickered back to Buckys comment about how he would look hot stretched out over the car and he flushed red. "But rain check? Saturday night?" Steve nodded gratefully and Bucky grinned again. "It's a date."

* * *

He had been right.

He knew he would be right.

Steve was deep in conversation with a photographer, Clint standing nearby with his arms crossed over his chest. All he was wearing were a pair of thick soled boots and long sleeved overalls. Except the overalls were tied around his waist, showing off his broad, muscled torso which had all been oiled for effect. Bucky was having a hard time keeping his eyes off Steve's chest, following the fair coloured trail of hair that disappeared into the overalls and the band of his dark briefs. Bucky blinked and cleared his throat, looking down to the pretty girl who was making last minute adjustments to the hem of his expensive suit pants. She was about his age, with long red hair that framed her heart shaped face.

A couple of months ago, she might have piqued his interest, but there was nothing there now. He gave her a fleeting smile before his eyes lifted to search out Steve.

This kid was driving him crazy.

There was definitely something between them—something more than just friendship—but he had no idea how to make heads or tails of it.

Did that make him bisexual?

Or was it just Steve?

Because, yes, he was confused as hell, but one thing he was absolutely certain of—he was most certainly attracted to Steve.

When they had first read together, he had thought to himself that the man was good looking. There was nothing wrong with him admitting when he found another man attractive, he had no problem with that. But there was something that was just sort of...Beautiful about Steve.

He was earnest and honest, and it was clear that he meant every word of what he said. He didn't get annoyed or indignant when someone gave him pointers or suggestions—there would be a little furrow of his eyebrows as he took on the advice. And when they were goofing off together, cracking terrible jokes or playfully making fun of Director Fury, there was nothing forced about it. They got each other, and they were comfortable with one another—that was something that Bucky wasn't used to. The first kiss they had shared was chaste and only lasted half a second. He didn't really feel anything at all. But then when he had gone back to Steve's room, he had felt more than a little something.

They hadn't been drunk, maybe getting close to it, but not quite there yet. 'Sebastian' was meant to be very comfortable with his sexuality, and so Bucky took advantage of that to try and exude confidence. He had told Steve that it relaxed him and made him feel easier to get a little drunk and half naked when preforming a difficult scene. Steve had looked a little hesitant at first but had thrown off his shirt and laid back on the bed after a couple of drinks. Bucky had sat next to him, not so close that he was crowding him but close enough that his knee was pressed against the blonde.

 _That_ kiss had been crazy.

Bucky would have let it go on for days. But then Steve had moved to touch him and Bucky had snapped back to reality. They were just meant to be rehearsing their script—Bucky wasn't sure that Steve was even attracted to him. Just because he was gay, didn't mean he was automatically attracted to him—that would be just a little presumptuous of him.

And then there was the night before the interview. He had just had a skype chat with mother and father, both who had sounded completely uninterested and bored with what he had to say. He had felt a bit down after he got off the call and he felt this aching in the pit of his stomach that he realized he actually hadn't in a while—since his friendship with Steve had started. He didn't have anyone to just call and listen to him, and he didn't want to bug his co-star, so he had headed upstairs to the gym, to work off his frustration.

Lo and behold, there was Steve.

The kiss he had given Steve as they parted ways hadn't been something he had planned, but when he had looked over at him with those piercing eyes and waiting mouth, he couldn't help himself.

"James!" He blinked as he heard Maria Hill say his name sharply, and he looked over at her. She nodded pointedly at the photographer, who was no longer fussing over Steve, but glaring over at Bucky. His blonde was also looking at him, but unlike everyone else, his expression wasn't annoyed, there was just a bemused smile on his face.

 _His_ blonde.

Shit.

The rest of the day consisted of Bucky's head bouncing between how sweet and fucking adorable Steve was, as he joked around, to trying not to get hard in the extremely tight and tailored suit pants he was wearing.

He was so fucked.

* * *

"I have never felt so ridiculous in my life!" Steve announced, his words a little slurred as he lifted his bottle of beer to his mouth.

"You looked fine! You gotta get used to shit like that," Bucky laughed.

"Easy for you to say!" Steve cried. "You were wearing a full suit and the only make up you had to have on was on your face!" His lips curled upward in disgust. "They were 'dusting up the abdominals'," he mimicked the photographer. Bucky shrugged, a smirk on his full mouth.

"I had no problem with watching the outcome of all the 'dusting of the abdominals'," Bucky grinned as he had the last mouthful of beer. "You want another one?" Steve nodded and Bucky got up rom the booth they were in and headed toward the bar. They had been in this tiny, rundown bar where everyone looked well over the age of fifty.

That was good.

That meant the boys were less likely to be recognized and they were able to drink in peace.

"Just two more Corona's," Bucky gave the older woman behind the counter a ide smile. She nodded and got two bottles from the freezer, cracking off the lids and tucking a lemon wedge down the neck before handing them over to him. Bucky paid for the drinks and walked over to where Steve was sitting. The muscular blonde was talking into his phone, and he rolled his eyes apologetically as Bucky took his place on the opposite side of the booth.

"Go take your gorgeous wife out for dinner and stop bothering me," Steve was saying into his phone good-naturedly. "You have a good weekend. See ya, man." Steve ended the call and put his phone in his pocket and looked across at Bucky. "Sorry about that. Clint just wanted to make sure I wasn't alone for the weekend."

"Did you tell him that I was looking after you?" Bucky asked.

"Uh, yeah," Steve's cheeks went slightly red all of a sudden and he dropped his eyes to look down at his bottle of beer. "Yeah. I told him that I was with you," his voice had turned to almost a mumble. Bucky raised an eyebrow and Steve stole another look up at the brunette, his face turning redder. He looked so cute that Bucky couldn't hide his grin.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Nothing," Steve replied hurriedly.

"Nah, it's something," Bucky said teasingly. The other man took in a deep breath and shook his head with finality, a small smile on his face.

"Not drunk enough to go into that," he said softly.

"Well, we'll have to fix that," Bucky grinned. "Those drunk secrets are always best." Steve looked pained but he jerked his head in a nod. "Okay. We're going to need something stronger than beer!"

Just a few beers turned into a round of tequila shots which lead to a game of pool where they had to throw back a mouthful of whiskey. Bucky was pretty shit at pool and Steve helped him out, standing behind him and guiding his arm. It was the most cliché, first date move in the world, and Bucky loved every second. Steve smelt like beer, and this earthy aftershave and some underlying scent that was just bewitchingly _Steve_. Every time their arms and fingers brushed together, it was like a hot flush over his body, and he almost couldn't hold back his groan as Steve bent over almost double to take a shot, his jeans stretching over his tight ass.

Bucky had never been jealous of an item of clothing before.

He could not say he had been.

"Shit!" Steve blinked up at the clock. "Shit—we've got that interview at lunch tomorrow! It's already past three!" Bucky looked up at the clock on the wall and made a face. "We should head back to the hotel."

"Yeah, I think we should call a taxi," Bucky muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. He _really_ needed to get back to his room and sleep this off. Because right now, all he was noticing was how desirable Steve's mouth was. How blue his eyes were. How badly he wanted to grab his head and smack his lips against his and find out how he felt when they weren't being watched by a hundred other people and there was no script they were 'acting' out.

They got back to their hotel and took the elevator up, standing relatively close to each other in the centre of the lift. Their elbows bumped together a couple of times and they exchanged a few small smiles before there was a beep and the doors were sliding open. Bucky was more drunk that Steve, and Steve gripped his elbow and let out a laugh as he pitched forward, almost tumbling to the ground.

"Shit, Buck," Steve laughed. "I'll help you to your room." Bucky was looking at him blatantly, not caring that he was staring, and his body felt all light at the use of the nickname 'Buck'. Magazines and paparazzi had interviewed him many times and the nickname 'Bucky' had come up, due to his middle name, but the actual use of it wasn't that often. His girlfriends said that James was more sophisticated, and his agents and directors always used his first name or called him Mr Barnes. One night stands liked to call him Bucky, but that was amidst giggles and gasps of disbelief that they were actually sleeping _the_ Bucky. His grandfather was actually the one who originally starting calling him that, when he was little, but he had passed away a long time ago, and in all honestly, he was the only one who actually sounded natural saying it.

Until Steve.

And Steve was the only one who had ever called him 'Buck'.

"Hey, man," Steve let out a short laugh. "Where's your room key?"

"Oh, uh, it's in my wallet," Bucky replied, a lewd smile spreading across his face. "It's in my back pocket." Steve let out another laugh, this one going for a little longer. He reached into the brunette's back pocket and pulled out his wallet his fingers brushing firmly over his ass for a split second before he was flipping open the wallet. He pulled out the room key and swiped it, helping Bucky through before closing the door. "How are you so sober all of sudden? I'm sure we had the same amount to drink..."

"I have a pretty high tolerance," Steve grinned. "And you did actually have more to drink than I did. I thought you wanted to get _me_ drunk? To find out my secrets, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Bucky nodded furiously, which pushed him off balance, and Steve quickly wrapped an arm around his waist and held him up. "Yeah, that's right." The blonde let out a laugh and helped the brunette over to the couch, sitting him down before heading toward the kitchenette. Bucky ran his hands through his already tousled hair, leaning forward and bracing his elbows against his knees and resting his head in his hands. He hadn't been this drunk in ages, and now he was regretting it, because Steve was right. He _did_ want to know what it was that had been making the man blush earlier.

"Buck, here," Steve was standing back in front of him, holding out a glass of water. Bucky took it and gave him a short smile. He drank half the glass and then put it down on the coffee table.

"Well?" Bucky tilted his head and looked up at him.

"Well, what?" Steve looked confused.

"Well, I got you semi drunk. And I got myself _very_ drunk," Bucky laughed. "I want you to tell me your secrets now." The confusion cleared on Steve's face and he let out a short laugh, sitting down on the coffee table next to the glass of water. They were so close that their knees were bumping together.

Bucky liked that.

"I don't really have that many secrets," Steve admitted with a shrug.

"But I know you have at least _one_ secret," Bucky said, his eyebrows raised and his eyes widened. He leaned forward so that they were even closer, to the point where he could feel Steve's breath on his cheeks. "You have a secret that was making you blush earlier, when you got off the phone with Clint." Steve was beginning to blush again, and Bucky couldn't stop himself from reaching up to touch Steve's face.

Even in his silently drunken haze, he could see Steve swallow hard, and as his thumb brushed across Bucky's cheekbone and then edged down lower, the blonde looked as though he was barely breathing. Bucky's thumb moved to touch Steve's full mouth, lightly touching the lower lip before he leaned forward, and pressed his lips to Steve's. It took a moment, but then Steve was responding, the kiss slow and deep, their tongues moving together and their heads tilting in opposite directions to allow for easier access. Steve's hands tentatively touched Bucky's knees and Bucky willingly parted his legs, shifting forward so that he was getting closer to the blonde. His hand moved from where he was cupping his jaw, moving it so that his fingers were massaging the back of his neck.

"Tell me your secrets, Steve," Bucky murmured as his mouth left Steve's lips, but never actually leaving Steve's skin. The blonde's eyes were closed as Bucky nipped and licked his way down Steve's neck, finding his pulse point and sucking hard, drawing a long moan from deep in Steve's throat. The noises that Steve was making was doing all kinds of crazy things to Bucky's mind and body.

He never wanted it to stop.

But he also wanted to know what Steve had been hiding earlier. So he unwillingly pulled away and waited for Steve to open his eyes again. The fair haired man seemed to realize that Bucky wasn't going to let it go, so he took in a deep breath, the top of his cheeks tainting a light pink colour before he finally bit out,

"I like you. I like you, okay?" Bucky grinned and leaned in, their mouths tentatively touching. At first it was slow, but then as Steve snaked his hand around Bucky's neck to hold him closer, the kiss deepened and heated up. Their tongues rolled over one anothers and Bucky's hand went to rest on Steve's thigh, inching upward slowly and squeezing, and Steve couldn't hold back a moan. The kiss became sloppy as the two started to lean back slowly, and then, they were ripping at each others clothes, a mess of spit and tongue as their bodies crashed together.

And so it had started...Or continued, depending on how it was looked at.

The two men had already been quite close, and spent pretty much all their time together, so there wasn't any questions. Apparently they were acting better as well—their director was happy and so were their agents. They still hadn't filmed the sex scene, but Steve overheard Fury and Clint talking and saying that they thought the boys were ready.

Well, he guessed they were.

It wasn't as though they hadn't been fooling around since that night. They could manage to have pretend sex.

Almost every night now they were together. They didn't always _do_ stuff, but they were always together. Steve had a thing for old TV shows, like MacGyver and Remmington Steele, and while Bucky teased him relentlessly about it, he would happily sit through the re-runs. Bucky was an avid reader, so when they were sitting in one of their hotel rooms, Steve would usually watch TV and Bucky would usually read.

That was only some of the time, though.

Other times, the would pick a movie and order in take out, and talk and laugh. They would go up to the gym or out to the pool. They had to be careful when going out in public and even the way they interacted on set, because even though there were privacy clauses and security guards to stop any press, they couldn't guarantee that no one would see them together acting like more than friends.

But they made up for it once they were behind closed doors.

They hadn't actually had sex, but they had done pretty much everything else. Sometimes they just stretched out on the couch, lips glued to one anothers bodies. Bucky wasn't quite as experienced with giving pleasure to a man, but he was enthusiastic and quick study. It didn't take too much to learn how to have Steve gasping and exhaling by using his tongue and fingers. One of Steve's new favourite things was going down on Bucky, and watching his perfect, kiss-swollen mouth pant out his name. Bucky already had the most incredible mouth, but when it was red and spit slick and moaning out Steve's name...He was pretty the way it made him feel was illegal.

"You have no idea how fucking hot you looked today," Bucky growled as he pushed Steve into his room and attacked his mouth. Steve let out a short laugh, which was smothered by Bucky's tongue invading the warmth of his mouth and stealing away his breath. It only took seconds for them to get hard as they rutted against each other. They stumbled toward the couch, Bucky kicking the door shut and gripping Steve's shirt and jeking it up. They let their lips part for a split second to allow for Steve's shirt to be torn over his head and kicked to the side, forgotten.

"I looked exactly the same as I did yesterday," Steve gasped out as Bucky's lips went to his neck and the blondes fingers went to the brunettes shirt. He struggled with the buttons, barely able to focus as Bucky's tongue licked out at the hollow of his shoulder. "Fuck," he hissed out as Bucky bit down at the base of his throat. He could feel the other mans smirk against his skin but Steve didn't even try to hold back his whimpers as Bucky rubbed his hand over the crotch of his pants. Bucky was just starting on Steve's belt buckle when there was a rap of knuckles on the door.

"Busy!" Bucky shouted, tearing at the zip of Steve's pants and pushing them down over his hips, lowering himself to his knees. There was another knock and Bucky growled. "Bloody maids."

"Open the door, James!" Came the impatient voice of Maria Hill. Bucky and Steve froze, exchanging worried looks. "James, you know I have a key to your room. I'll just come in if you don't get your ass to the door." Steve was already pulling his jeans back up as Bucky scrambled to his feet.

"Shit, shit," Bucky hissed, attempting to tame his hair with his fingers and button his shirt back. "Um, get in the bathroom," Bucky said in a low voice. Steve nodded, rushing over to the adjoining bathroom as he realized he was still shirtless and he frantically gestured at Bucky. Bucky frowned at him and then looked around the room. He couldn't see a shirt and shook his head. Steve made an exasperated face and quickly ducked into the bathroom, closing the door quietly. "Coming!" Bucky called, his voice harried as he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror on the wall; his cheeks flushed and his lips swollen. He rubbed his hand roughly over his face before opening the door, a wide smile that didn't quite reach his eyes plastered on his face. "Maria—hi!"

"Took you long enough," Maria said curtly as she came into the room. She had a manila folder under one arm and was tapping away furiously on her phone with both thumbs. "I won't keep you long, just need to touch base."

"Yeah, sure. What's up?" Bucky asked, hoping that the strain wasn't evident in his voice. Maria finished whatever she was doing on her phone and dropped her hand to her side and looked him critically up and down.

"You look like you were in the middle of something," she noted. "Is someone here?"

"Uh, nope," Bucky shook his head. "Just me. I was, um, getting ready to have a shower." She arched a plucked eyebrow at him but just shrugged and walked over to the couch, resting her hands on the back of it. "So? What's up?" He repeated.

"Do you have anything to tell me, James?" She asked bluntly. That was one of the things that Bucky had always liked about Maria. She was always direct. There was never any sugar coating or beating around the bush, and Bucky appreciated that.

Most of the time.

"What do you mean?" He asked, playing dumb.

"I mean you and Steve," Maria continued, her tone no-nonsense. "Are you and Steve something more than friends and co-workers?" The colour in Bucky's cheeks drained and he swallowed hard. Maria was observant, and there was no way she missed his reaction, but she waited for him to reply.

"I don't know," he strangled out, his voice low.

"You don't know if there's something going on, or there's something going on an you don't know what it is?" Maria immediately asked, but her voice was a touch softer now. Bucky swallowed visibly again, still not able to meet her eyes, clenching his hands at his side.

"I don't know," he finally choked out. Maria was absolutely silent and after a few moments stretched, Bucky jerked his head up to look at her.

"I'm not here to tell you how to live your life, James," Maria began, her voice gentle. "I'm here to _help_ you manage your career and _help_ to portray your personal business to the media and the public." Maria gave him a small smile and reached out to touch his hand. Bucky was surprised by the reaction and lifted an eyebrow at her. Maria gave him another nod before he saw her visibly pulling herself together. She shot him a quick smile and he could see that her 'agent' face was back. "Have you seen the interview that you two did with Sharon Carter?"

"Uh," Bucky frowned, confused. "No? What's that got to do with anything?"

"Watch it. It aired about an hour ago, and I've already had a call from the movie's publicist," Maria told him briskly. "You just need to be more careful and moderate how you act in public as you're making this decision, James." She gave him a tight smile. "He's a great guy, James," she added as she reached the door. "And let him know that if he doesn't want to walk back to his room topless, his shirt is behind the couch." Bucky's eyes widened as she left the room, closing the door behind her, and then looked over at the bathroom door, which was tentatively opening.

"Hey," Bucky stated, feeling a little nervous, not too sure how much he had heard. Steve had done up his jeans and from the way he walked directly over to the couch and bent down to pick up his shirt, Bucky knew that he had heard Maria's parting comment.

So he had undoubtedly heard the rest.

"Steve," he began, but the blonde cut him off.

"I think I should probably head back to my room, Buck," Steve said with a half smile that wasn't as true as his other smiles. "It's been a long day, and we've got an early start tomorrow."

"Steve," Bucky interrupted again, but was interrupted _again_ , this time by Steve's lips. Steve's hand cupped the back of Bucky's head, kissing him so hard that it made the brunette ache as though he had lost something when his lover pulled away. Bucky sucked in a sharp breath as Steve stared at him for a long moment, before he was brushing past him and walking out the front door before Bucky could pull a comprehensible sentence together.

* * *

The Sharon Carter interview had been easy to find, especially since Clint, Natasha and Sam had sent him links. Clint had said that they had done well, and they would discuss the 'other issue' later. Steve frowned and didn't bother to read the other messages, clicking on the video to see what Clint and Maria had been referring to. The first twenty minutes was normal, just the interview. Bucky looked and sounded great, and after the intro, Steve had to admit, he wasn't sounding to bad either. But then he saw what their agents had been referring to.

Sharon was doing her closing spiel, but then the camera had zoomed in on the two boys, who were leaning in close to each other. Sharon was saying a few lines about the movie, the standard promotion, and then it seemed as though she had noticed them together. She looked over her shoulder and then lowered her voice with a raise of her eyebrows.

"And this looks like maybe there is moving to an off-screen romance," she said in a stage whisper. The camera swung back to them, just as Bucky smiled at Steve, as though sharing a secret with them. It was innocent enough at the time—Steve had thought—but he could completely understand how it could be perceived.

And, well, things weren't so innocent now.

Steve ran a hand over his face and exhaled heavily. He had always been open and honest about his sexuality. His dad had split when he was younger, but his mother had always supported him until she had passed away when he was seventeen. Sam had never had an issue with it, even though he was all about the woman.

But Bucky was different.

Everyone knew that James Barnes was a ladies man. It was splashed over all the gossip columns and trashy websites and celebrity talk back shows.

And Steve could completely understand Bucky's hesitation to say anything to anyone because it was a big step. There was then always the possibility of another reason that Steve had tried not to think about.

That this was just a phase.

That Bucky was just trying new things—having some fun.

It was a definite possibility, and Steve knew that, but he was just trying to enjoy it while it lasted. He was living in the now. Sam had always told him that he worried too much and that he needed to relax and just let things happen for him. That's what was happening here. He wasn't thinking about how Bucky made him happier than he had been in a long time. He wasn't thinking about how devastated he was going to be if Bucky ended whatever it was they had going on.

Well, at least, he _hadn't_ been thinking about it.

"Shit," Steve sighed, slumping down on the couch.

* * *

Things sort of became even busier than before. Filming was coming to an end and they were doing more interviews and promotional things. Steve appeared on a morning talk show and Bucky co-hosted a couple of radio shows which were flooded with calls from infatuated girls. They were set to appear at an event back in their home city of Los Angeles in four weeks, which was when filming was meant to all be finished by. Everyone was working overtime to get the rest of the movie actually filmed so that it could be passed on for editing.

The sex scene wasn't anywhere near as romantic or touching to film as it would apparently be once the movie was finished. There were eyes on them, and they were being motioned and hissed at every couple of minutes to lean this way, or tilt that way. Bucky was the only thing that kept him relaxed and okay, his eyes always soft and warm.

In the end, Fury said that he was happy with the final product, but Steve had a feeling he was still going to blush when he saw them on the big screen.

As they were finishing up afterwards, Bucky had called out to him, but Natasha was trying to get his attention from down the hall. He had given Bucky an apologetic look and mouthed 'talk later' to him before quickly joining Natasha and Clint.

They hadn't though—talked later.

And they hadn't really talked since the Sharon Carter interview had aired, at all, really. They certainly hadn't kissed or fooled around off camera either. They _were_ a lot busier, and filming hours had extended to almost sixteen hours a day, and on the off chance they finished early, they were with their agents or catching up on sleep or at the gym. But that wasn't the complete reason, and they both knew it.

It was because of the decision that Maria had put in front of Bucky and the speculation that had been scattered through the media after the interview had been on TV. It hadn't gained much traction because they hadn't been seen in public together too often, and there hadn't even been a trailer dropped for the movie yet. But there were still some photos and side comments—he had heard the crew talking about it, but he hadn't seen it for himself. One of the first things that Clint had enforced with him when he had signed him on was to let Clint and Natasha handle the press. _Don't_ go looking for problems online because they're always going to be there.

So Steve listened.

There was a wrap part tonight, and for the first time since starting on this movie, Steve wished that he wasn't one of the stars. He wished that he was one of the supporting characters who could slip away after the first few hours unnoticed.

But no such luck.

Natasha had stolen his credit card earlier in the week, saying that he needed a new suit. Despite his protests at the time, he was grateful for it. He had to admit, he looked pretty good in the tailored, dark grey suit with a dark purple shirt and no tie. Natasha looked absolutely gorgeous in a forest green dress that clung to her curves and Clint was giving her these looks that made Steve feel uncomfortable for witnessing. But it was sweet, how much he still was infatuated with his wife, even though they had been married for almost five years now.

But the one who had stolen the show, as expected, was Bucky.

He was in a silvery-grey suit, with a dark blue shirt and a grey tie to match. His hair was being unruly, given he was going to grow it out again—he liked the shoulder length he usually had it at and hadn't been happy about needing it short for the duration of filming. When Steve arrived, he was talking with a couple of actors who had played supporting roles. Steve took in a deep breath, trying to keep his flutter of nerves under control. He headed toward the bar, ordering a double shot of whiskey.

The night went well. Most people were getting pretty drunk, including Director Fury, which was a good time to watch. The man tried to come off as all hard and cross, but he was a good guy, and he seemed to have a bit of a soft spot for Bucky's agent.

Steve was in the middle of a discussion with a quirky co-star, Darcy Lewis, when someone appeared behind him, touching his elbow.

"Hey, Darc," came Bucky's voice, close to Steve's ear and sending a shiver down his spine. "Do you mind if I steal Stevie away for a bit?" The nickname rolled off his tongue so easily that Steve didn't even think twice until Darcy's eyebrows raised and a smirk pulled at the corners of her lips.

"Sure thang," she sung out. "I'll see you boys around." She shot them one last smirk, looking all knowing, before traipsing off to find her friend, Jane Foster. Steve turned around so that he was facing Bucky, the brunette giving him a small, almost nervous smile, before dropping his eyes too look into his tumbler of bourbon.

"Do you want a to take a walk?" He asked, not sounding quite right.

"Uh," Steve looked around. The party was still in full swing, and they probably could slip away unnoticed if they weren't too long. "Yeah, sure," he nodded. Bucky lead the way out, choosing the side entrance. The building that had been hired out for the wrap party had a small garden and it gave them a bit of privacy, sitting at the bench behind an old tree. "What's going on, Buck?" Steve asked, his fingers involuntarily tightening around the glass in his hand.

"I'm sorry we haven't really talked in a while," Bucky began, swallowing hard, his eyes darting everywhere except toward Steve.

"It's okay, man," Steve shrugged. "Things have all been kind of hectic around here lately." Bucky's tense posture didn't change, but he shoved back the rest of his drink, putting it down on the grass and then standing up. He started pacing, his hands flexing at his side and Steve's eyebrows knitted together. "Bucky?"

"I have feelings for you, Steve," Bucky suddenly exclaimed, finally looking at the other man. Steve blinked in surprise at the outburst, his pink lips parted. Bucky let out a noise that sounded like a cross between a growl and a sigh, and ran his hand through his hair. "Shit, man, I like you. I like you like a friend—because you're probably the only person I could call a _true_ friend after all these years. But I also like you as more than that, and fuck— _fuck_!" Bucky hissed. "Fuck, I just don't know what to do here!" Steve was on his feet and closing the distance between them in a split second.

It was instinctual.

Bucky was in distress and all Steve wanted to do was make him feel better.

"Hey, hey," Steve's voice soothed him as he reached out to touch his shoulder. For a moment, he felt Bucky still and relax, but then he tugged his arm away. Steve sighed and crossed his arms, his suit and button down shirt stretched across his biceps and muscular chest. "What do you need, Bucky?" Steve murmured. Bucky frowned at him, confused. "How can I help?"

"I don't..." Bucky's voice trailed off. "I don't know," he whispered. "I don't know if I can do this, Steve. I don't even know what _this_ is!" His voice was beginning to rise again. "I mean—am I gay because I'm attracted to you? Because I've never been attracted to any guys before—it's always been girls—woman," Bucky was starting to panic—Steve could see his shoulders rise and fall rapidly. "But then I can't loose you, Steve! Fuck, you're the most real person and you make me feel like a better person, and I _can't loose you_!" Steve was chewing down furiously on his lower lip, his eyes watering as he listened to Bucky talking. As he finished, Steve took in a deep breath and pinched at the bridge of his nose, his head bowed.

"I like you too, Bucky. You know that," he said softly. "I like what we've had these past few months." Steve's whole body was in pain as he tried to form the next words. Everything inside him was saying to leave it, and let Bucky come to his own conclusions, but he knew he had to say his part. "Once we get back home, Buck, I think that maybe we need to stop things—at least for a while." Bucky looked as though he was about to protest but Steve continued swiftly. "You need to figure out what you want to do, and you need to have space to come to that decision. I don't want you to feel rushed or pressured, I just think we could both use some time—"

"Will you wait for me?" Bucky interrupted.

"I—uh, what?" Steve blinked. The dark haired man pursed his lips and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Will you wait for me?" Bucky repeated, sounding a lot more fragile this time. Steve visibly swallowed. His eyes darted up to the door of the building, which was still closed, and then stepped up to Bucky. He lifted his hand to cup Bucky's jaw and pulled him in for a kiss. Bucky's hands straight away went around Steve's waist and pulled him in close to him. Their bodies collided firmly and Steve couldn't hold back his broken moan. It was the first time in weeks that they were touching like this and it wasn't because of some script.

Bucky tasted and felt so insanely good that Steve wanted to take back everything he had said. As their tongues searched each others mouths, committing every last sound and movement to memory, their hands tightened around each other. Bucky's hair was a mess and Steve had no doubt that his suit jacket was getting bunched up and wrinkled.

"Hey!" Came a shout from the building and the two of them sprung apart like a couple of guilty teenagers. Clint was standing there, holding the door shut behind to protect them from the eyes inside. "Unless you two are planning on going public, I would find somewhere else to do that." The two of them nodded furiously, both of them blushing, and Clint disappeared back into the building. Bucky was still breathing heavily and Steve dragged his tongue over his lips.

"So, this is it for a while?" Bucky asked hoarsely.

"It's only going to be a few weeks before we see each other again," Steve countered. "We've got that promotional Q&A thing—"

"But that's not the same and you know it," Bucky sighed. "And what about until then? Or after that? We're not just going to be down the hall from each other anymore." Steve knew the loss he was feeling—he was feeling it too.

But it was the right thing to do.

"We better head back in," Steve murmured. Bucky nodded mutely and followed his co-star back into the party.

* * *

Bucky had been right.

It _wasn't_ the same—it wasn't even _close_ to the same.

It felt good to be back in his old apartment, which Sam had been looking after while he was away. His baby, a labrador named Captain, was overjoyed to see him, and almost bowled him over the second he opened the door. But he barely had time to adjust, because Clint, and in turn, Natasha, had been promoted him tirelessly, and given he now had a link to a Nick Fury movie, he was being short listed straight away. And there were all of the interviews he was doing, both on camera and for magazines. He thought that more of them were going to be with Bucky, but it wasn't until almost a month later that they had a panel together.

The days were busy, but it was at night, when he laying on his bed and staring up at his ceiling, that his body and his mind felt... _Empty_. He hated it, and he would go for runs in the morning and the evenings with Captain, and then push himself in his weight room, so that he was exhausted before he went to bed.

He was a nervous wreck the morning he had the panel with Bucky, and Natasha was giving him knowing looks as they walked down the hallway to the dressing room. Clint was a bit more subtle about it, but he gave Steve a pointed look as he walked onto the stage, coming face to face with Bucky for the first time since their parting kiss.

"Hey, Stevie," Bucky said, giving him a hint of a smile, his eyes flickering between the crowds and his co-star, the smile quickly dropping. Steve forced a smile, his face feeling so tight, like botox. There were a couple of seats set up, with microphones on the table, next to a few bottles of water, and they were facing a room which was filling steadily by the second. He wanted to say something to Bucky, but his throat felt dry and he felt awkward as he sat down.

Their banter had definitely taken a hit.

Things just weren't flowing between them.

They managed to bumble through the interview and then some of the audiences questions, Natasha shaking her head from the side lines. Bucky practically fled off the stage at their half time break, disappearing into the bathroom. Clint caught Steve's elbow and pulled him to the side.

"What's going on out there?" The shorter man raised an eyebrow. "I thought that you two had parted on good terms, given what I saw at the wrap party."

"Yeah, I—" Steve broke off with a sigh. "I don't know."

"Well, I suggest that you go in there and get it sorted out," Maria said, coming over to stand with them, Natasha close behind. Steve nodded and walked over to the bathrooms. He pushed open the doors and then froze when he saw Bucky leaning over the bench where the sinks were, his arms braced against the wooden bench top and his head bowed, shaggy hair falling forward.

"We're kinda doing shit out there," Steve attempted a half laugh, but it fell flat. He shoved his hands into his pockets, feeling a little uncomfortable as he chewed down on his lower lip. "Everything okay, Buck?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Bucky replied, his voice slightly muffled. Steve frowned as he took a step further into the bathroom, and he saw that Bucky's hands were clenched so tight his knuckles were bloodless.

"Bucky..." Steve murmured. "Talk to me." Bucky snorted and straightened up looking over at the blonde. There was a sarcastic smile on his face and Steve was taken aback by the anger in his eyes. "What's going on?"

"Were you with him during filming?" Bucky asked abruptly. Steve's head tilted to the side in confusion.

"What? With who?" Steve asked.

"With your man—your boyfriend," Bucky insisted.

"I have absolutely _no idea_ what you're talking about," Steve said, moving to stand toe-to-toe with Bucky, hoping that his cluelessness was apparent in his face. Bucky's eyes scanned his face, looking a little less confident that he had a few seconds ago, and then looked down, grabbing his phone from his pocket.

"Him," Bucky stated, pushing the phone in front of Steve's face. Steve clicked the screen to light it up properly and then let out a huff as he saw the picture. He guessed that it did look like a pretty domesticated picture; Steve had a cup of coffee in his hand from Starbucks, Captain on a lead which was in his other hand, and Sam at his side.

"This is ridiculous," Steve rubbed his hand over his face, an exasperated smile on his face. Bucky took his phone back into his pocket and stared at Steve. Steve just shook his head and schooled his expression, his only tell of annoyance a twitching nerve in his jaw. In a way, it was cute to know that Bucky had been checking up on him. But on the other hand, _he could have just called him_. The picture had a date water marked in the corner about ten days ago. Steve let out another puff of air through his nose and arched an eyebrow at the brunette.

"What?" Bucky grunted.

"That's Sam," Steve said. Bucky still looked confused. "Sam. As in, my best friend, Sam. My _straight_ best friend, Sam." Understanding spread across Bucky's face and his eyes widened.

"Oh," he uttered.

"Yeah," Steve said, stepping closer so that he was right up in Bucky's face. " _Oh_ ," he repeated, heavy emphasis on the single syllable word. Bucky swallowed hard as Steve's breath brushed over his mouth and cheeks. Steve could see the struggle on Bucky's face, and he so wanted to end the struggle by leaning forward and cover Bucky's luscious with his own, but he didn't. He waited and left it up to Bucky.

"Steve, I—"

"Hey!" There was a sharp knock at the door. "You two need to get out here and have your hair touched up. Move it!" Maria's heels could be heard clicking on the wooden floor as she walked away, and Bucky sighed.

"We should probably get back out there," he muttered. Steve felt a wash of disappointment roll over him, the nerve in his jaw jumping more erratically as he closed his eyes momentarily to get a grip of himself. When he re-opened his eyes, Bucky was walking toward the door. Steve followed after him, ignoring the questioning look from Natasha as two stylists came over to give him a quick once over. They were then ushered back onto the stage, shouts and hollers greeting them as they walked toward their seats. Bucky waved and smiled but it all looked stiff and wooden. Steve sat down next to Bucky, although on the edge of his seat to put as much distance between them as possible. They started questions straight away, mainly to avoid any awkward silences that they were meant to fill with playful banter.

He was an actor.

He had to pull himself together.

He took in a deep breath and looked out over the crowd, just in time to see Bucky point at an excited looking redhead. She grinned and all her friends nudged at her encouragingly. She stood up and looked between them adoringly, before finally seeming to pluck up the courage and blurt out,

"Is Stucky real?!" Steve raised an eyebrow in confusion and looked over at Bucky. Bucky was going a little red, and a surprising smirk was pulling at the corners of his mouth. Steve leaned in closer to his microphone.

"Uh, sorry," Steve began, shooting her an adorably lost smile. "What's a 'Stucky'?" There was a titter that ran through the audience and Steve frowned before letting out a short laugh. "Does everyone in here know except me?" The laughter from the crowd was louder this time and Steve looked over amusedly at Bucky, who was now grinning down at his hands, which were clasped in his lap, shaking his head ever so slightly. Steve was glad that Bucky looked more relaxed, but he still had no idea what was going on.

"It's your ship name, man!" Came a shout.

"Ship name?" Steve muttered, still confused before it clicked and his eyebrows shot up. Their audience all laughed louder and Steve heard someone in the front row say _'oh yeah. Now he's got it.'_ He looked over at Bucky, not having any idea how to answer the question, and was surprised when he saw Bucky staring back at him. Steve felt flustered, and he knew they had to answer soon if Bucky wanted to keep a lid on this—the long pause was already speaking volumes.

"Fuck it," Bucky suddenly said, getting up from his seat and reaching down to take Steve's face in his hands, his lips finding the blondes. Steve blinked in surprise, completely taken aback, but Bucky's comforting smell and familiar taste coaxed his eyes shut and his mouth open.

The fan girls, as Natasha later described them with a smirk, went wild.

**Author's Note:**

> So? What did you guys think?
> 
> Took a lot of work, so if you guys like it, let me know! Please :) x


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